Dell unveils cutting-edge AI hardware solutions for data centres

Dell unveils new server, rack, and storage solutions as part of its AI Factory to support the surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) workloads in data centres.

Arthur Lewis, President of the Infrastructure Solutions Group at Dell Technologies, stated, "Today's data centres can't keep up with the demands of AI, requiring high density compute and liquid cooling innovations with modular, flexible and efficient designs. These new systems deliver the performance needed for organisations to remain competitive in the fast-evolving AI landscape."

The company highlighted its Integrated Rack 7000 (IR7000), which is engineered for environments requiring advanced cooling and sustainable power management systems. This rack is designed to accommodate dense CPU and GPU configurations and is built in line with Open Compute Project (OCP) standards for large-scale deployment.

The IR7000 is described as future-ready, offering wider and taller server sleds to handle the latest CPU and GPU architectures. It is also designed for liquid cooling and can manage heat output up to 480 kilowatts, capturing almost all of the heat it generates. This system supports a variety of networking options, both from Dell and other providers, aiming to simplify deployments and enhance energy efficiency through its Integrated Rack Scalable System (IRSS).

Complementing the IR7000 rack is the Dell PowerEdge XE9712, a platform co-developed with NVIDIA, which targets large-scale AI deployments with high-performance computing requirements, specifically for training large language models. The system supports up to 36 NVIDIA Grace CPUs and 72 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs, offering up to 30 times faster real-time large model inferencing due to its NVLink domain connectivity.

Further enhancing the hardware offerings, the Dell PowerEdge M7725 is designed for high-performance compute tasks in sectors such as research, fintech, and education, supporting deployments within the IR7000 rack. This server uses 5th Gen AMD EPYC CPUs and facilitates high-speed I/O connectivity through its energy-efficient design, which includes direct liquid cooling and air cooling options.

The company's focus on unstructured data storage is marked by updates to its PowerScale solution, which is the first ethernet storage certified for NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD. Key enhancements include improved workload performance and data discoverability, denser storage capabilities due to new 61TB drives, and front-end support for NVIDIA InfiniBand to accelerate AI workloads further.

Also announced were upgrades to Dell's Data Lakehouse platform that improve data management with features such as automated schema discovery and disaster recovery, alongside services to optimise data cataloging and pipeline implementations. This aims to enhance the accessibility of high-quality data for seamless AI integration.

Rounding out the developments, Dell has introduced Generative AI Solutions in collaboration with Intel. This offering is built on Dell's PowerEdge XE9680 and Intel's AI accelerators, providing platforms for various generative AI workloads, including content creation and digital assistants.

The Dell Integrated Rack 7000 and PowerEdge M7725 are set to be available globally in the first quarter of 2025, while PowerScale updates are expected in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Dell Generative AI Solutions with Intel will also launch towards the end of 2024.